Tuesday, September 7, 2010

So Who Is This Butterfly Anyway?

a. an overworked artist?
b. a vintage clothing dealer?
c. a camera shy collector of just about everything vintage?

I’ve been hoping to get a blog going for some time. But since I live each day like The March Hare... always running off to try to catch up with myself, it’s been put off for way too long. The little I’ve been able to peek at other blogs has given me such a charming behind the scenes view of many of my favorite Etsy sellers. So here to introduce myself is a photo Michael took of me wearing a piece I made in homage to Schiaparelli.

I’m a mixed media artist photographer. I’ve been working with vintage and really antique materials for years. My companion, Michael is a professional photographer. We live and work in a 19th century carriage house in Brooklyn. Here’s the link to a NY Times article about this place which is wall to wall vintage you name it... it’s here: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/05/realestate/05habi.html

I’ve gone through periods where all I bought were postcards by the boxful. Then hardware... vintage nuts & bolts. I own antique rivets. Who owns rivets? My friends are rather kind in treating me like a quaint curiosity. Well... I’ve found my kindred souls on Etsy for sure. Personally, I’m absolutely partial to ruins. If it’s mended, torn, worn out or broken it tugs at my heart. So, those things I’m keeping no matter what my friends think! (PS: the shirt I'm wearing is vintage agnis b... a total rag at this point and one of my favorites!)

As to vintage clothing... that’s a chapter in itself. I’ve been wearing vintage since forever. I used to dress almost exclusively in Victorian. It was around a lot then... in every barn. I raised an entire field of pumpkins... planting, hoeing, weeding and harvesting in 1890’s frocks which I’d hike up and tuck into my long johns (worn underneath for practicality since it was VT and I was a bona fide Hippie.) Then in NYC I graduated to the 1920’s and 30’s, which are still my favorites, with a few Joan Crawford suits thrown in. So that was my entire wardrobe.

I worked for vintage dealers in Soho. Fabulous experience gained working on the most extraordinary items. I learned restoration from people who worked at The Metropolitan Museum... the subtle craft of antique textile care. Working on some of these amazing gowns... a Fortuny! Oh, that’s kind of hard to beat. So, I’m an absolute addict for vintage apparel... the clever, the elegant, homely, chic, regal, tender... the marvelous vintage threads will always pull at me and I’m so glad I have a little shop on Etsy where I can share some of my finds (I still search) ... and some of my personal treasures which simply must be divested ... they must!... I simply must let them go!... (or so my friends say.)

About Me

I'm an artist who lives and works in a 19th cen. building so packed with vintage it looks like The Old Curiosity Shop. My favorite items are the ones that no longer have any practical purpose. Favorite vintage clothing... the beautiful rags. I'm building towards a sort of existential Lost & Found Dept.